Do we Sensitise our horses to our own emotional feelings?

[EquestrianFairy]

I just wondered whether we do this?
I did it over the weekend and pondered today whether it was me or the pony..

I did a show and i wasnt really feeling 100%, Pony also didnt feel 100% (couldnty put my finger on it- just didnt feel right) It turned i became so adament my pony was feeling under the weather that i cut it short in the end. Now, at the same show there was a judge who is a family member who we dont get on with and this addded to my initial 'unhappiness'

A very good friend pointed out my pony was probably fine and just being abit 'meh' but then i realised so was i being abit 'meh' and in reality was it MY emotional well-being which affected us both or was it just us both seperatley having an 'off' day?

 

[MochaDun]

I don't like to anthropomorphise animals but I have to say I do find my pony does respond to how I'm feeling a bit, if I'm grumpy inside or a bit impatient (with myself I mean not him) he seems a bit unsure too and less chilled than normal. My take on it is animals have well honed instincts for good reason to pick up on things quickly, slight changes in atmosphere, environment, weather, another horse's behaviour etc because they are prey animals so maybe they can sense even subtle things off us through body posture, tone of voice, even mood maybe. But there are some days when I think my pony is just having a bad mood day when I'm feeling fine so I allow him that as we're all allowed an off day! When I first got him we had a few issues and he lost confidence in me and played up which effected my confidence when we we were hacking out alone and it took a lot of hard work to feel strong and confident so he trusted me again and felt reassured so that would say to me that they do react/respond to us.

 

[baymareb]

I think most people would agree that horses pick up on fear or uncertainty. After all, they are experts at reading body language. When you're afraid, you stiffen up, you're tense, and they feel it.

It doesn't seem to me like a big jump to assume they can pick up on other emotions. When my mother died, I went straight to my barn to hug my horses and it seemed to me that they understood how upset I was. Rather than accept my attention for a bit and than wander off as they usually did, they all crowded around me and let me hang on them and bawl.

My present mare has been uncharacteristically quiet since I had foot surgery. She slows her pace for me when I walk her and when I rode her bareback one day with my cast one, she walked like she was on eggshells. She's a young, green OTTB - she does NOT act like this normally.

So yeah, I do think they are sensitive to our moods.